Seminole Hard Rock Tampa hits $1B jackpot milestone, awards hospital nurse a BMW

Duane Kelloway, a Spring Hill resident and hospital nurse who treats COVID patients, won a $112,245 2022 BMW X7 M50i as part of a celebration of $1 billion in jackpots paid out so far in 2021 by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa in Florida.

Kelloway, 50, was playing a Double Hit progressive slot machine by Ainsworth Gaming with a $3 bet. He won $2,450 on the machine, which pushed the casino's total slots payout for 2021 to over $1 billion. The win earned Kelloway the new BMW in recognition of surpassing the slot payout milestone.

In celebration of the milestone, NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker Derrick Brooks surprised the lucky guest. 

As part of the celebration, all 1,130 slot players who had their Seminole Wild Card properly inserted into a machine within 15 minutes of the milestone announcement each won $100 Bonus Free Play.

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa has awarded 360,000 jackpots to more than 43,000 individuals so far in 2021, which equates to nearly a jackpot paid per minute.

Kelloway said: "I thought I was going to pass out. To be so lucky to be here at the right time and the right place and at the right machine."

Kelloway is an Operating Room nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lutz and said he has been treating COVID patients for weeks. He and his wife, Kelley, who is also a nurse, visited the Seminole Hard Rock Casino Saturday for a brief escape. They drove to the casino in a 2013 Ford Taurus with nearly 200,000 miles.

"I was going to come down Friday," said Kelloway, who added that his wife talked him into visiting the casino on Saturday instead.

Steve Bonner, President of Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, commented: "Clearly, it's an exciting time for this property and Seminole Gaming. We are fortunate to be in the position to create so many jackpot winners and look forward to celebrating this milestone with another major announcement later this year."